Tian XT, Zhan JP, Qiao C, Ge JL, Li DH. Rising of natural therapies: Potential and challenges of traditional Chinese medicine in the management of gastrointestinal diseases. World J Gastroenterol 2025; 31(9): 103145 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i9.103145]
Corresponding Author of This Article
De-Hui Li, Department of Oncology II, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University of Chinese Medicine (Hebei Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Key Laboratory of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine for Gastroenterology Research, Hebei Industrial Technology Institute for Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparation, No. 389 Zhongshan East Road, Chang’an District, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China. 258289951@qq.com
Research Domain of This Article
Gastroenterology & Hepatology
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Jian-Li Ge, Department of Peripheral Vascular, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University of Chinese Medicine (Hebei Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China
De-Hui Li, Department of Oncology II, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University of Chinese Medicine (Hebei Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Key Laboratory of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine for Gastroenterology Research, Hebei Industrial Technology Institute for Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparation, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China
Co-first authors: Xiao-Tong Tian and Jiang-Ping Zhan.
Co-corresponding authors: Jian-Li Ge and De-Hui Li.
Author contributions: Tian XT and Zhan JP contributed to the writing and editing of the manuscript, and a review of the literature, they contributed equally to this article, they are the co-first authors of this manuscript; Qiao C organized data; Ge JL and Li DH designed the overall concept and outline of the manuscript, they contributed equally to this article, they are the co-corresponding authors of this manuscript; and all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by the 2023 Government Funded Project of the Outstanding Talents Training Program in Clinical Medicine, No. ZF2023165; Key Research and Development Projects of Hebei Province, No. 18277731D; and Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province, No. H202423105.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: De-Hui Li, Department of Oncology II, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hebei University of Chinese Medicine (Hebei Province Hospital of Chinese Medicine), Key Laboratory of Integrated Chinese and Western Medicine for Gastroenterology Research, Hebei Industrial Technology Institute for Traditional Chinese Medicine Preparation, No. 389 Zhongshan East Road, Chang’an District, Shijiazhuang 050000, Hebei Province, China. 258289951@qq.com
Received: November 11, 2024 Revised: January 21, 2025 Accepted: January 23, 2025 Published online: March 7, 2025 Processing time: 99 Days and 18.4 Hours
Abstract
In the contemporary medical landscape, the burgeoning interest in natural therapies, particularly for managing gastrointestinal disorders, has brought traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) to the forefront. This article explains the core principles and clinical applications of TCM in treating these conditions, furthering the discourse through an examination of integrated TCM strategies, as demonstrated in the study by Zhou et al. While TCM has shown promising clinical outcomes, it encounters significant hurdles in standardization, mechanistic research, and clinical validation. Future investigations should aim to solidify the scientific underpinnings of TCM and expand its use in gastrointestinal disease management, striving for a seamless fusion of traditional and contemporary medical practices.
Core Tip: In this article, we comprehensively examine the fundamental theories and practices of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) as a natural therapy for gastrointestinal disease management, including its mechanisms of action. Simultaneously, we explore both the opportunities and challenges TCM faces in treating these diseases and the difficulties associated with its integration into modern medicine. The innovative treatment model that seamlessly blends TCM with contemporary medical practices is anticipated to emerge as a novel approach for managing gastrointestinal ailments, providing fresh perspectives and directions for medical advancement.
